Moving House: Sorting out

It’s that time again where I find myself packing my life up into cardboard boxes of various sizes. Yes, I’m moving house… again. Joy.

I say again because I have moved house a total of 4 times in the last year (ok so one of those was my parents moving house but still!). So you can understand I am not overjoyed by the prospect of packing, mostly because it involves another process I detest: sorting out. My mother has been nagging me to ‘sort out’ my things every summer since I can remember. And even now, 5 year after I have left home, she still reminds me to. And she’s right. I should throw out all the rubbish I have accumulated over the years (and trust me, there is a lot!), streamline my life and go for the minimalist look but guess what? I can’t! Unfortunately I have inherited the hording gene from my father (are all dad’s horders or just mine?) and so find it very very difficult to throw things away. My mother has always been ruthless when it comes to sorting out: ‘Have you used it in the last year?’ she’ll ask. ‘Well no but what if I need it soon?’ I’ll answer. Or even ‘Well no but it has sentimental value.’ Sometimes it works.

Now I’m faced with sorting out again, and my mother isn’t there but her voice in my head is so that’s all right. Surprisingly I actually managed to fill a whole bin bag full of stuff and gave it to charity! So I guess her training did work… a bit. Now I have to pack the rest of my ‘clutter’.